Silentkit's Apprentice Ceremony

Littlebrook leaped up onto Jaggedrock with a heavy heart. Silentstorm's death was still very fresh, and this ceremony only hurt more. A kit had taken on her late son's name. Taking a deep breath and pushing back her emotions, she let her voice ring out steadily around the clearing. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Jaggedrock for a clan meeting!"

Silentkit trotted out from the nursery, azure eyes full of curiosity. The soft-spoken kit wondered if one of her denmates was going to become an apprentice. Surely it couldn't be her, Wildkit was older than her after all and he still hadn't yet been apprenticed.

Looking up at the Jaggedrock, the pristine white kit looked up at Littlebrook with a sweet, innocent expression on her face.

"Silentkit, please step forward." She meowed clearly, her soft blue eyes landing on the pure white kit.

"M-me?" She squeaked and gaped openly, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest. Did she do something wrong? Oh no! Or wait... was she becoming an apprentice? But what about her brother?

She shook herself from her frozen state and stumbled forward, nearly tripping over her feet as mixed emotions of excitement and terror flooded her. "Y-yes ma'am?" she sounded nervous, almost panicked even.

Littlebrook smiled, nodding encouragingly as the young kit became anxious. "You have reached the age of six moons and are ready to begin training. From this moment until you receive your warrior name, you shall be called Silentpaw. Your mentor will be Willowheart. I trust that she will teach you all that she knows." She finished, her deep blue gaze still on the kit before her voice rose up in chanting the young cat's new name.

Silentkit's... no, Silentpaw's eyes grew round as the the moon as she stared up at the deputy, then looked around around as she searched for her new mentor. She couldn't believe it. She was an apprentice! She wondered what her mentor would be like. She hoped they would like her.

Her new name echoed in her ears as her heart fluttered rapidly in her tiny chest, her body trembling with excitement. "I... thank you!"

A small black-and-white she-cat stepped forward, her webbed paws delicately leading her through the crowd. Willowheart smiled softly as she looked down at Silentpaw, but her large amber eyes were tinged with sadness. Her father's namesake looked nothing like him, although Willowheart tried to fool herself into thinking that her father's spirit still lingered in Shadowclan. The small warrior shook her head, her smile growing stronger. "I'm looking forward to training with you, Silentpaw." Her soft voice didn't betray Willowheart's feelings, and for a moment the she-cat was glad that she didn't have her father's easy-to-read face. She bent her head down to meet Silentpaw's nose with her own, mustering a halfhearted purr.

Silentpaw stared up at her new mentor with vivid blue eyes full of worry. What if she messed up? What if Willowheart got upset with her? She jumped slightly when their noses met, then squeaked "S-same to you, W-Willowheart. P-please teach me well." That sounded about right... hopefully. She wished she didn't stutter so much, but everything was so new! Why couldn't she get one of her brothers as a mentor? She didn't know Willowheart... this was going to be scary.